Category Archives: Wildlife

Fish, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Calififornia salmon experiment puts fish in river water

State fish and wildlife officials are studying a new way of transporting hatchery salmon that are intended to repopulate the Sacramento River system, a newspaper reported.

About 100,000 Chinook salmon have been taken to San Francisco Bay, where they were released, in water actually from the Sacramento River, The San Mateo County Times reported this week (http://bit.ly/12h3faP).

The theory being tested is that the fish will develop a memory of the water’s chemical makeup that will improve their ability to get to the river from the bay to spawn.

Fish and Wildlife biologists have raised concerns that too many hatchery fish are straying and not returning to the river.

The experiment could help boost salmon populations and impact how hatcheries release the fish, the newspaper reported.

“We’re hoping that this is the way of the future,” said Andrew Hughan, a Fish and Wildlife spokesman.

More at SFGate.com >>>
Uncategorized, Water, Wildlife

Take a Historical and Geological Side Trip from Interstate 80: Placerville

Here’s a way to turn the routine roar up I-80 into a jaunt through part of the Mother Lode in Placerville. The route starts with US Route 50, which splits off I-80 just west of Sacramento.

On this trip you stay on 50 to Placerville, then strike north across the watershed of the American River to Auburn, where I-80 is the ridge route to the crest of the Sierra Nevada. With minimal stops it takes a couple hours, but there are lots of places to linger.

More at KQED.org >>>

Bike Trail, Fish, Rafting, safety, Wildlife

Last day to reserve campsite for weekend

This is Wednesday — and that means this is the last day to book a campsite reservation at a state park for a Friday arrival on Memorial Day Weekend.

A detailed recreation forecast for the upcoming weekend will appear in Thursday’s Chronicle and at sfchronicle.com.

The first campgrounds to sell out are coastal sites. The last to sell out are in the valleys, foothills and Redwood Empire.

As of Wednesday morning, these parks still had campsites available, from just one day to all three days for the upcoming weekend:

Greater Bay Area: Big Basin & Little Basin Redwoods, Brannan Island, China Camp, Henry Cowell, Mount Diablo, Portola Redwoods.

Coast: Salt Point, San Simeon.

Foothills & valleys: Clear Lake, Clear Lake cabins, Colusa-Sacramento River, Folsom Lake, Fremont Peak, Indian Grinding Rock, Lake Oroville, San Luis, Turlock Lake, Woodson Bridge.

More at SFGate.com >>>

Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

White-water season gets mixed reviews

With snowmelt trickling down the mountainsides, white-water enthusiasts are bubbling in anticipation of big rapids. But this year, with low snowfall, rivers without dam-controlled releases are in for a short season.

“A little bit lower water does not mean there’s not good rapids,” said Janeen Stewart, operator of Earthtrek Expeditions, a rafting company based in Lotus, Calif. “Actually, some of the rapids are better because there are drops.”

Rafting companies that run the American River, Truckee River and Carson River are kicking off the white-water season. Though the flows aren’t bursting, water management through the dams will prolong their seasons on some stretches through the summer.

“We do raft three rivers, the North Fork, the South Fork and the Middle Fork of the American River,” said Brynn Allen, a guide with Adventure Connection, based in Lotus, Calif. “The North Fork is the one of the three that does not have dam release. There’s not enough water in that river to be runnable right now.”

More at TahoeDailyTribune.com >>>

Bike Trail, Events, Water, Wildlife

‘A Day on the Farm’ at Soil Born Farms

On rich farmland along the American River and tucked next to Hagan Park is Soil Born Farms, the site of the fifth annual “Day on the Farm.” The May 19 event is billed as an opportunity to “Learn, Eat and Celebrate!” and will feature a fresh farm stand, cooking classes, farms tours, farm animals, plant sale, nature walks, live music, workshops, food, and arts and crafts.

At the event, participants can experience Soil Born Farms, which produces certified organic produce for local farm stands, restaurants and grocery stores. Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture and Education Project was started in 2000 to connect urbanites with healthy, local food. Soil Born Farms also offers experiential farm, gardening and cooking education, and provides healthy food access programs for the community in partnership with schools and other agencies.

More at SacramentoPress.com >>>

Fish, Salmon, Wildlife

3 million hatchery salmon released into American River in Sacramento

State Department of Fish and Wildlife officials on Monday and Tuesday released 3 million juvenile salmon at the mouth of the American River in Sacramento.

The fall-run chinook salmon, produced at the Nimbus Hatchery, have historically been transported in trucks to San Francisco Bay to help the fish avoid predators. But research showed few found their way back to the river.

So in 2010, hatchery officials began releasing a major share of each year’s production into the river, 25 percent of them marked with a coded-wire tag.

The results have been encouraging. “It appears from the last couple years we’ve done it that the return to the river has increased, and we’re getting less straying from other hatcheries,” said Gary Novak, a manager at the hatchery.

More at SacBee.com >>>

 

Bike Trail, Rafting, Water, Wildlife

Public meeting May 23 on Watt Avenue levee repair

Plans by the U.S. Army Corps to repair the American River levee under Watt Avenue in Sacramento could result in lane closures, and the public is invited to a meeting on the project May 23.

The work at the north end of the Watt Avenue bridge is necessary to close a gap in the existing seepage cutoff wall inside the levee, on either side of the bridge. The Army Corps built more than 20 miles of seepage walls in American River levees between 2000 and 2002. But work was set aside for later where complicated encroachments existed, such as utilities, power lines or bridges.

Construction is expected to begin later this month and continue through November. Nighttime partial lane closures of Watt Avenue are expected in late July.

The American River Bike Trail and major thoroughfares will remain open during construction. But some trail access points near the bridge may be intermittently closed.

The meeting will be May 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Arden-Dimick Public Library, 891 Watt Avenue.

For more information, call (916) 557-5100 or email spk-pao@usace.army.mil.

From SacBee.com >>>

Fish, Salmon, Wildlife

Millions of Salmon Released into American River

About 3 million young Chinook Salmon were spawned and then released into the wild Monday.

Raised at the Nimbus Hatchery for 6 months these fish will swim 100 miles or so all the way to the San Francisco Bay. They will live for two or three years out in the ocean, and hopefully make their way right back to the Nimbus Hatchery.

Out of all the fish released today, it’s estimated that only 2% will make it back to spawn.

From Fox40.com >>>